The BC Beer Awards & Festival (BCBA), one of the most anticipated beer tasting festivals in the Lower Mainland, returns to the Croatian Cultural Centre again this year on Saturday, October 15.

Tickets for the BC Beer Awards & Festival go on sale August 16 online at the early bird price of $32 (from September 16, tickets will be priced at $37 plus taxes).

Year of the Mild Beer

2016’s theme is Year of the Mild Beer: event organizers have challenged BC’s brewers to create something mild, 4% ABV or less and still full flavoured. Also returning to the festival are community booths and craft beer focused vendors.

Judges included certified beer judges, cicerones, sommeliers and journalists as well as noted beer and food lovers. The BC Beer Awards adheres to standards set by the internationally-recognized Beer Judging Certification Program (BJCP).

The mandate of the BC Beer Awards is to reward excellent beers even if not brewed exactly to strict style guidelines.

Secondary is ensuring that every beer brewed in BC can be entered regardless of whether it fits in a style or not. Craft brewers across the province are well­ known for their innovation and creativity, something that the BCBA organizers are keen to help celebrate.

With 20 new BC brewery openings in 2015 – and an estimated 20 more this year – we’ll top 100 craft breweries in BC , definitely a milestone worth raising a glass to!